Applications Part 3: Buildings’ Life Cycle and Global Health Impacts

The health impacts of buildings reach far beyond their walls and even beyond the local community, but we rarely think about how the material and energy flows through our buildings impact human and environmental health across the globe. The selection of materials is often divorced from an understanding of where they come from, where they end up after use and the pollution, chemical exposure, or working conditions that impact health throughout their life cycle. The materials used to construct our buildings can impact the health of workers and fenceline communities during extraction; manufacturing; transportation; installation; and recycling or disposal. Building materials also have global impacts on all of our health through chemical and microplastic pollution. In addition, fossil fuels and the pollution they cause, from both their use to power our buildings and to make building products are undermining public and planetary health.

The good news? Innovative industry leaders are broadly defining “healthy spaces” to incorporate global considerations of whose health is impacted by our buildings, inclusive of the life cycle chemical, climate, and justice impacts of materials. In this session, hear concrete examples from industry experts who are taking action. Learn how they are tackling these complex issues on specific projects and beyond and hear about tools and approaches you can use to take action and create spaces that are just and healthier for all. - LEED v5 BD+C and WELL v2 relevance will be noted.